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Runner Head: COLLEGE ENROLLMENT AMONGST AFRICAN-AMERICANS

Comparison of the College Enrollment Levels between White, Blacks, and Other Minority
Groups
Exercise #2 Problem Definition Paper: Secondary Data Tables
Stephanie De Los Santos
SOWK300-Section 01
Professor J.L. McArthur
September 22, 2010
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Abstract

The results and findings on the analysis that I conducted, showed that over the last 40 years
the level of African-Americans that have been enrolled in college have been low. When
comparing the different races and ethnic group, that’s when the low levels are most apparent.
Another aspect that was apparent was that the overall number of females that have been
enrolled in college has been greater than the amount of males.
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1. Problem Identification. Over the past 37 years the amount of African-Americans

that are enrolled in college and are working to obtain a degree are low. The

problem/topic I saw, in the analysis that I made of the tables, was that the number of

African-Americans that were enrolled in college is less than the numbers of Whites

and in some instances less that Hispanics. Between the years of 1970 and 2007, the

total of African- Americans that have been enrolled has been almost six times less

than the amount of White Americans.

2. Problem Description. The Primary level of the issue is that since such small

numbers of African-Americans have been enrolled in college, even lower numbers

when regarding about males. Bringing along more problems and less progress, being

attached to the African-American or Urban communities. The rate of the college

enrollment has increased from 11,387,000 in 1980, to a total of 18,248,000 in 2007.

Out of these increasing numbers, only a minute increasing change of 1,163,000 in

1980 to 2,383,400 have occurred amongst African-American.

I think that in order to increase the level of Blacks enrolling in higher learning

institutions, we have to start education ourselves and the options of continuing our

education post high school has to be given to us a couple of years earlier, than when is

given today. I believe if we knew and were offered the necessary awareness,

regarding the significance of attending college during our early high school years; we

will be able to look forward and better prepare ourselves to take the crucial steps that

need to be taken to attend college. Instead, most of us are not even offered the

opportunity nor the motivation that we need to attend or get ourselves register in a
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higher education career. I think research should be conducted in which African-

Americans should be questioned and asked about our views regarding this important

issue. In the study the effects that the problem is leaving should be discovered.

Instead of using the assumptions that are being made by other groups of people,

allowing the real account of the seriousness of the issue come to light. I think its

better having the true accounts of the problems than having the opinions of a group of

people that doesn’t care nor have an personal interest of seeing a change in the

numbers.

3. Findings. The data tables that I found and used for my analysis helped paint a

picture, which clearly showed, how over the past 40 years not many members of the

Black community have been enrolled in college as they should have been. The

numbers lucidly demonstrate that compared with the White community there is more

than six times the numbers of Whites, which are and have been enrolled in college,

than Blacks. The data also illustrates that, during the analyzed time, more females are

being wiser than males and are registering themselves in college. Looking into any of

the groups, whether they’re Blacks, Whites, Hispanics , or American Indian/ Alaska

Natives, females are the ones that are taking the lead and posses the higher number of

college enrollment versus the males. From a number of 1,338,000 females that were

enrolled in 1970 to 10,432,800 that were registered in 2007, females have had the

head start since the beginning.

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a. Magnitude: I think the problem is very severe, for the most parts the problem of

college enrollment is very important and very large. For quite some time I’ve known

that the levels of Black’s enrollment were low. Sitting down and looking at the data,

the numbers are illustrated clearly, makes me notice that the problem is bigger that I

thought.

When pertaining to the Black communities I was able to see that since such small

numbers of Black are registered in college it becomes explainable why Blacks have

less wealth, less authority, higher crime rates, and higher level of poverty. When it

comes to the wealth, how can we as Black people progress and obtain the high paying

positions if we don’t educate ourselves. If we don’t attain the required college

education that needs to qualify for the positions, we will never reach those high

statuses.

The same setting goes for authority, how can Blacks be adequate

representation and have someone in high authority positions like the position of a

Mayor, Senator, Governors, Congressmen, to fight for the needs of the Black

communities. We have to educate ourselves to qualify for those powerful, impact, and

authoritative positions. When looking into the levels of crime rates, whether it’s

looking into the number of murders, drugs, theft, rapes or any other types of crimes,

and the rates in the Black community are high. If more of the Black males which are

the ones that are usually involved in crimes where to be enrolled in college more than

likely these problems will decrease.

Table number 270 shows that out of 5,989, 000 White males that were enrolled in

college in 2007 only 838, 100 were Black males enrolled during the same time. The
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low numbers show that the majority of the Black males were outside of school and

were most likely were the ones that were being involved and responsible for the

criminal activities that the Black community was being a victim off.

Poverty is another striking problem amongst the Black community. The high

levels may also be tagged onto this whole issue of college enrollment, because it all

goes back to not having a high income in the community. If an adequate income is not

brought in, then the necessities and essentials to living can’t be met. This deficit

would be what increases the levels of poverty. In order for the poverty levels to

decrease amongst the Black community, the income levels have to rise, and all this is

obtained through receiving the necessary and satisfactory college education. The

numbers of these different data tables show 12that the Black community has been

affected as a whole.

b. Scope: The levels of college enrollment are low amongst all United States. According

to the data in table 271, it illustrates the view that the number of people that are

enrolled by States. Amongst the least populated states, the lowest level of enrollment

are found amongst Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Maine, Montana, New

Hampshire, North and South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming. Amongst these States

the level of Black enrollment were really low. An example would be in Idaho, when

78,000 people were registered for college only1% of them were Black.

On the other hand, when looking into the most populated States, one would refer

to the States like: California, Texas, Florida, New York and Illinois. Amongst these

could be made out of the States of New York and Texas. In New York out of
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1,160,000 people that were enrolled in college, only 12% were Black; and in the State

of Texas out of 1,253,000 only 11% were Black.

c. Changes: According to the various table that I used to do my analysis, the changes

that have occurred in the last 37 years have been great. Since 1970, when only 1, 425,

000 people were enrolled in college, amongst no percentage of Black enrollments was

recorded, to a total of 18,248,100 that were enrolled in 2007; the numbers have

evidently increased. Sadly it is to say that out of those many that were registered in

college only 12% were Black. Even going deeper into the subject in matter,

throughout the past 37 years, of data that I have analyzed, Black females are taking

the lead in obtaining their education. From 686,000 that were recorded being enrolled

in 1980 to 1,545,300 that were enrolled in 2007, grand improvement has been made.

Unfortunately the improvement of the Black male’s group hasn’t been as great; out of

476,000 that were first enrolled in college in 1980 only 838,100 were enrolled in

2007.

d. Disparities: The greatest disparities were seen with regards to race. The majority

group had the greatest number over the minorities. Throughout the 37 years of data,

data, that I analyzed, the White race had six times higher levels of enrollment versus

versus the other minority groups. The data also showed that females have always had

had a higher level of college registration than the male’s group. When relating to age,

age, the highest level of college enrollment was found amongst the age group of 18 to

18 to 24; followed by the group of 25 to 34.

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4. Data Tables.
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References

Table 267.U.S. National Center for Education, Digest of Education Statistics, annual;
“College Enrollment of Recent High School Completers: 1970 to 2007” Retrieved on
September 19, 2010; http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2010/tables/10s0267.pdf

Table 270.U.S. National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics”, annual;
“College Enrollment by Selected Characteristics: 1990 to 2007” Retrieved on September 19,
2010; http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2010/tables/10s0270.pdf

Table 271.U.S. National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics”, annual;
“Degree-Granting Institutions, Number and Enrollment by State: 2006” Retrieved on September
19, 2010; http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2010/tables/10s0271.pdf

Table 272.U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Reports, PPL-148, and earlier reports;
“College Enrollment by Sex, Age, Race, and Hispanic Origin: 1980 to 2007” Retrieved on
September 19, 2010 http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/school.html

Table 274.U.S. Census Bureau, unpublished data;

“College Enrollment-Summary by Sex, Age, Race, and Hispanic Origin: 2007” Retrieved on
September 19, 2010 http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/school.html

Table 277.U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Fall 2006
Integrated postsecondary Education;
“Residence and Migration of College Freshmen by State: 2006” Retrieved on September 19,
2010 http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2010/tables/10s0277.pdf